Abstract
Glycols used in the vehicles of cosmetics and topical dermatological medications include propylene glycol (PG), hexylene glycol (HG), 1,3-butylene glycol (1,3-BG) and 2,3-butylene glycol (2,3-BG). In this study, 1,701 consecutive patients suspected of having allergic contact dermatitis were patch tested in 1989–1990. Positive patch test (PT) reactions to 30% PG were seen in 11% of the patients, to 30% HG in 9.6%, to 20% 1,3-BG in 8% and to 20% 2,3-BG in 7.3%. Most reactions were irritant and only 0.8% of the patients showed allergic-type reactions to PG, 0.2% to HG, 0.2% to 1,3-BG and 0.3% to 2,3-BG. A repeated open application test (ROAT) was done for altogether 8 patients with an allergic-type glycol reaction. Six of them reacted positively. None of the 6 patients with irritant PT reaction to the glycols was ROAT positive. All glycols tested were thus capable of producing both irritant and allergic-type reactions.
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